Pluralistic Perspectives Exploring Pluralism in Divided Times: A National Virtual Retreat for Religious Leaders
“[Faith leaders] call events like these ‘retreats’, when what we really mean is work… But movement away from something also means movement toward something else.” Rev. Hope Christensen, co-founder of Faith Leaders for Ending Gun Violence spoke these words in her opening intention for “Leading Faithfully in a Time of Division”, a virtual retreat hosted by the Miller Center for Intrerreligious Learning and Leadership of Hebrew College, in partnership with Interfaith America. This daylong event convened some of the Miller Center’s closest local and national partners, who shared their wisdom through presentations, public dialogues, guided meditations, musical offerings, and more. Discussion centered around the intersection of American civic life and religious pluralism, and how faith leaders can serve as healers and advocates of peace and justice as we move through this divisive election season and reckon with various global crises.
Rev. Christensen’s intention was followed by a morning meditation led by Acharya Dr. Judith Simmer-Brown, founding faculty emeritx at Naropa University. Inspired by the 8th Century Buddhist Śāntideva, Dr. Simmer-Brown’s guided participants through “a short practice of tuning into things we find that are conflictual and triggering, changing our attitude toward those things so we can approach them with a peaceful heart.”
Rev. Chistensen and Dr. Simmer-Brown set the stage for a day of heartfelt and searching conversation about challenging concepts and societal conflicts. Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, president of Sojourners, joined Miller Center Founding Director Rabbi Or Rose in conversation about Rev. Taylor’s book, A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community. Taylor described the origins of the term “beloved community” with pastor Josiah Royce, and its use by civil rights leaders, including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the 1960s. Taylor he took up the phrase “Beloved Community” from these leaders of the 1960s with the hope of revitalizing the concept today. He defined it as follows: “Creating a society where neither punishment nor privilege is viciously tied to race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or ableness. A society where everyone can thrive.”
Following Taylor, Rev. Brian McLaren of the Center for Action and Contemplation presented on the topic of honorable disagreement, engaging participants in reflection on how to deal with conflict without diminishing the dignity of one’s interlocutors. In a time of rising authoritarianism globally, Rev. McLaren pointed out, nefarious actors intentionally intensify divisions as a tactic of rallying support from their base, casting their opponents as illegitimate and dangerous, and seizing control. McLaren reminded attendees that this phenomenon makes it more important to listen carefully to those we disagree with and to engage in dignified discussion. He offered four guidelines for such engagement: 1) Lead with what you’re for; 2) Tell the truth (without repeating the falsehood); 3) Invite commitment; 4) Practice the courage to differ graciously.
In the afternoon, Rev. Tom Reid, a long-time Miller Center staff person, moderated a conversation with Rev. Dr. Gloria White-Hammond and Rev. Dr. Ray Hammond, Co-founding pastors of Bethel AME Church in Boston. The panel, “LGBTQ+ Inclusion: Navigating Personal, Communal, and Denominational Tensions”, focused on the hard work of making this and other forms of inclusion a fundamental personal and communal value. They shared theological, textual, and strategic insights, as well as some of the challenges they have faced over the decades. The Hammonds also spoke about the importance of working closely with LGBTQ+ people and their loved ones in our communities, who have been adversely affected by exclusionary attitudes, behaviors, and policies.
Afternoon programming included two intentions shared by leaders in the Sikh community. Dr. Simran Jeet Singh, outgoing executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program shared an excerpt from his recent written reflection “We are Waves in the Ocean.” Later, Simran Stuelpnagel of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund led the group in a visualization exercise focused on breathwork and embodiment.
Hebrew College Visiting Scholar of Christianity and Religious Leadership Rev. Dr. Rob Schenck moderated a panel featuring Rev. Dr. Margaret Grun Kibben, Chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives. Rev. Kibben was sworn in on January 3rd, 2021, and shared her harrowing account of pastoring to the community of Congress during the events of January 6th, on her third full day in the role. She spoke about the three moments in the day when she led the community in prayer, including one impromptu moment as the building was breached, and her time ministering to representatives once they’d been relocated to a safe location, spontaneously reading Psalm 46 aloud to the community. This story underscored the importance of Rev. Kibben’s pluralistic approach to public leadership, striving to share sacred words in which her diverse body of constituents could find meaning and to which they “might be able to say, ‘Amen.’”
Rev. Kibben was joined in conversation by Rabbi Jack Moline, former president of Interfaith Alliance, who, among other duties, runs a spiritual study group for elected officials in Washington, D.C. Rabbi Moline spoke about the importance of compassion and privacy in working with elected officials and congregational leaders, as both groups of people spend so much time serving others and doing so under great scrutiny.
Hebrew College President Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld and Islamic scholar and frequent Miller Center senior advisor, Dr. Celene Ibrahim, engaged in an open-hearted conversation entitled “Collegiality & Friendships in the Face of Crisis: Jewish-Muslim Engagement Since October 7th”. Dr. Ibrahim introduced a “paradigm of personal responsibility” that guides her work, asking, “What is my work to be done today? Tomorrow? Short term? Long term?” as a way of staying grounded, focused, and humble in difficult and divisive moments. Rabbi Anisfeld echoed the importance of humility in attempting to understand the conflict and her role in commenting on it publicly as an American Jewish institutional leader. Ibrahim and Anisfeld also spoke about the need to voice their differences in perspective honestly while advocating for peace and justice for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Following this dialogue, Winnie Rugamba, Research Project Manager for Essential Partners, joined Dr. Roman Williams, founder of Interfaith Photovoice, in a photographic exercise, “Seeing Through One Another’s Lenses”. The session centered on the importance of art and creative expression in exploring faith and bridging divides. They also spoke about the importance of aesthetics and creative expression in religious communities throughout the world for millennia. Rugamba and Williams shared the photographic works of students and religious professionals from several colleges and universities with whom they are working across the country.
Dr. Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith America, joined Rabbi Rose for a dialogue about healing divides in American society, “We Must Build Together: Repairing Our Fractured Society.” This pre-recorded conversation emphasized the importance of shared civic identity and the need to engage in work for the common good. Rabbi Rose spoke openly about the challenge of toggling between his “pluralistic and progressive selves” in undertaking his civic duties. Dr. Patel emphasized the many areas of public life, such as youth sports leagues and rotary clubs, where people have opportunities to engage constructively as fellow Americans, despite political divisions. He further spoke of how such interactions foster dignity and trust, allowing us to deal with conflict in more thoughtful and humane ways.
The day wound down with a reflective exercise led by longtime Hebrew College advisor Terry Rosenberg, in which she invited participants to share their learnings from the day. Rev. Dr. Ambassador Suzan Johnson-Cook closed the event with a pre-recorded intention. In her remarks, Ambassador Johnson-Cook highlighted the deep relationship she has developed with Rev. Rob Schenck, despite their differences. She called on participants to use their experience working together across lines of racial, religious, and political difference as a model in the coming months and years, as we face unprecedented divisions in our country and throughout the world.